


Enslaved To You

by Schreibmaschine



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Abuse, Blood and Violence, Fluff and Angst, Lams - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Possible smut, Slavery, Slow Build, Swearing, first fanfic, i am sorry Lin, i do not condone it, slavery is bad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-15 16:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11809686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schreibmaschine/pseuds/Schreibmaschine
Summary: Alexander Hamilton was taken at a young age from his home after the devastating hurricane to the rice plantation of Henry Laurens where he meets his eldest son, John Laurens, and is put to work as a slave. In a time where being gay can get you killed and talking out as slave can also endanger your life, Alex just can't seem to win. Drama is sure to ensue.This is my first fanfic published ever! I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to comment! Thanks and I hope my words are even half as beautiful as you are! ;) <3 :)





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to my first fanfic! I'll keep this short and sweet. First off, not everything will be historically accurate. I'm doing this partially on purpose because slavery is awful and I don't want to go into the details in research or my story. Somethings are accurate or are close to what would have happened, for example Hercules is an indentured servant instead of a slave since he is from Ireland. Anyways, sorry that wasn't really short....or sweet.....Hope you enjoy!

The hot South Carolina sun beat down on Alex's back, causing him to sweat immensely. He put his weight in his hands as he laid them against his knees so that he could take a break for one second. He desperately swiped the back of his hand against his forehead, brushing off the sweat.

As he heard footsteps crunching the dry stocks come from behind him, he quickly resumed his work of plucking the golden rice from its stalk. The footsteps grew louder and he glanced out of the corner of his eye as he continued to work to see one of the guards walk by, eyeing him. He quickly adverted his gaze as the guard gripped his whip tighter and began to work more quickly.

Once he had heard him walk off into the distance, Alexander chanced a glance up. All he could see were hundreds of people in the same position as he was, hunched over in a dry field harvesting rice.

"Monsieur Hamilton, if you keep daring to look up, you will sooner or later get caught and have to pay the consequences."

A small smile grew on Alex's weary face as he glanced to his right to see the sweaty French man smirking at him.

"Like you're one to talk, Lafayette. Next to me, you're probably the biggest trouble maker here."

The French man only laughed, continuing in his thick accent. "Oui, this may be true, but I also get caught less than you, mon ami."

"Says the man who got caught stowing away on one of Henry Laurens' slave ships, and ended getting himself in the slave trade in the process," Alex retorted back, rolling his eyes.

The baguette only shrugs, the smirk never leaving his face. "As my people say, 'C'est la vie.'"

Alex just snorted, shaking his head.

"What are you two going on about?"

The two men both tensed as the gruff voice of one of the guards addressed them. Alex had an uneasy feeling enter the pit of his stomach. No matter what Lafayette said, just because he was a trouble maker didn't mean he enjoyed the punishments that came from it.

"Well?" he barked, growing more impatient.

"Ah, you see Monsieur pomme de terre, mon petit Alexander here forgot how to correctly harvest a grain of rice," Lafayette said without hesitation, standing tall to meet the guard's gaze.

"He...what?" the guard asked in confusion.

"Oui, I agree. It is hard to believe that one could forget such a simple task," Lafayette went on, shaking his head. He then turned to Alex, lowering himself to meet his gaze.

"Do you see now, Alexander? You simply pinch," he said demonstrating on the plant next to him, "and tug. It comes right out and you set it in your basket. Do you understand now, mon ami, or should I demonstrate again?"

It took everything Alex had to not slap that condescending look off of his ridiculous French face.

"Yes, thank you Laff. I was having...difficulty grasping the concept," he bit out through gritted teeth.

The guard just looked on with folded arms and a cocky grin.

"Hugh. And there are abolitionists out there fighting for your right to vote, claiming you are just as smart as the rest of us," the guard said, shaking his head with a wicked grin plastered to his face. "Well now that you know the process, Hamilton, try reviewing it over lunch. It's time to go in."

With that the guard turned and left, leaving them behind trying to catch their breaths.

"....did you call him 'Mr. Potato'?"

Lafayette turned to him and gave him an innocent shrug with a not-so-innocent grin on his face. "His face resembles a potato and I do not know his name. What else would I have called him?"

"You're just lucky none of them speak French," Alex laughed as they began to walk towards the dining house.

"Oui, and you are just lucky that I was here to save your skin. You are welcome, by the way," Laf said, giving a small bow.

Alex scoffed, looking away from him. "He looked at me like I was stupid," he muttered.

"So?" Laf asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm not stupid," he snapped back at him, pride and anger quickly flooding his senses.

Lafayette sighed. "Mon petit lion, I am aware of this. Anyone who has listened to one of your rants is aware of this. These simpleton men do not matter. Half of them cannot write let alone read while you are exceptional at both. Do not let them begin to define you, oui?"

Alex released an agitated breath, his anger slowly fading. "I guess you're right..."

"Of course I am! When is your baguette ever wrong?" he said as he winked at him with that stupid grin back on his face.

Alex just smiled as they pulled open the wooden doors to the long, dusty shack they used as their dining house.

Even though they split up the feeding times into different groups for the 268 slaves so they wouldn't all be crammed into the dining house at one time, it was still extremely crowded and hard to move around without running into someone. Laf and Alex were struggling to move behind the backs of people already sitting down as they looked for a spot on the bench when they saw a hand shoot up and start waving them over. They quickly made their way over to find that Hercules had saved them two seats.

"Mon ami," Lafayette said as they sat down, "why do you insist on sitting out here with us? You are an indentured servant, not a slave. Why must you treat yourself like one?"

"Yeah, well being in here with you guys beats eating gruel that's not much better down in Henry Laurens' basement with about eight other people that I don't really care for," Hercules said with a shrug as a he stood and grabbed his bowl. Laf and Alex followed suit as they all began to gather in line to wait for the meal to be brought in.

"Anyways, enough about my depressing circumstances in the house, how are your guys' depressing circumstances out in the fields?" Hercules said with a playful grin.

"Depressing," Alex muttered.

Hercules chuckled as Lafayette decided to continue the story. "I had to show notre cher Alexander here how to harvest rice because he sadly forgot," he said, giving him a fake pouty look as Alex just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well let's just say if that guard could speak French," Alex said under his breath as he gestured to the guard who had approached them before and now stood by the door, "Laf would probably have gotten ten lashes."

Mulligan clicked his tongue as he shook his head. "See, I wish I knew another language like you guys. Then I could...what did you say to him?" he asked turning to Lafayette.

"'Monsieur de terre', Mr. Potato," Lafayette translated with a proud grin.

Hercules just laughed. "Yeah, I could call them that straight to their face and they wouldn't even know."

Their conversation was cut off short as the wooden doors slammed open. In came two slaves who must have had their meal earlier that day. In between them they carried a large brass pot, holding the food for all of them to eat. Alex's stomach unconsciously rumbled at the sight and smell of the food. Even if it wasn't great, it was still food.

He expected to see one more slave, or maybe even a guard, to walk in after them to serve them their lunch. Instead in came a well dressed man with freckles splayed all over his face. He had an air about him that immediately set him apart. And if you didn't catch on that, the clean white linen of his shirt was sure to tip you off.

"Who is that?" Alex asked Hercules. Since he was an indentured servant and not a slave, he had the luxury of working inside the house instead of the fields.

Hercules just folded his arms and shook his head as he smiled. "It's John Laurens," he said in almost awe.

"Attendez, John Laurens? As in Henry Laurens' eldest son?" Laf asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah," Hercules laughed, not taking his eyes off of the boy. "Wonder what he's doing out here?"

Alex couldn't but help to be curious as well. Personally, he had always been envious of this mysterious son. He was not only able to read and write whenever he wanted, be he was allowed to. Writing was the only thing Alex had with him, and even then he had to do it in secrecy for fear of getting punished.

"Do you think it's some sort of punishment?" he asked, returning his gaze to Hercules.

Hercules just shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. All I do know is that his father has expectations for him and that's why he was left here to study law while his brothers were sent off to London. He's pretty obedient, kind to the house staff, but isn't really into any girls. That's really his father's only complaint, always saying that it's 'bound time he found a wife.' This could be his father's way of pushing him into marriage, but I don't see how serving the slaves' meals would help with that."

"Unless he was thinking something like Sally Hemings would happen for him like it did with Thomas Jefferson," Alex laughed with a smirk.

Lafayette and Mulligan couldn't but laugh along.

"Non, I doubt someone who is sending their son to law school would wish that they end up with a slave as well," Lafayette said.

"Then what is he doing out here?" Alex persisted, his tone growing more agitated.

"Why don't I just ask him?" Hercules suggested.

"What?" Alex said taken aback.

"Why don't I just ask why he is out here so we can end this whole discussion?"

"No, Hercules, I don't that's such a great ide-" Alex began desperately trying to stop his overenthusiastic friend before it was too late.

"Hey pretty boy!"

It was too late.

John Laurens notably cracked a smile before glancing up from the large pot of food. His eyes landed on Hercules, who was all smiles as he waved towards him while Alex and Lafayette were shifting weight from foot to foot, not sure how this would all end.

"Why Hercules Mulligan," he said as the three of them reached the front of the line. "Why am I not surprised?"

Hercules let out a short laugh. "What, that I'm eating out here? I do that everyday so I can keep an eye on these two goofballs," he said gesturing towards Alex and Laf.  
"The real question is why are you out here Laurens?"

"Ya know, calling me by my last name isn't really effective considering my dad owns the plantatio-"

"Stop avoiding the question and just give us the answer," Hercules interrupted as he cocked one eyebrow towards the younger man.

John's smile only grew bigger. "Am I really that transparent to you, Mulligan?"

Hercules just shrugged with a smile. "Most people are. I guess I'm what you could call a 'mom friend.'"

John just laughed in response, which Alex noticed caused the freckles across his face to move and almost seem to change positions. "Well, to answer your question, I am out here because my father has put me in charge of over seeing the slaves. He thinks it will 'help me be a leader' or something like that."

"So you'll be the one in charge of us now?" Alex spoke up.

John's eyes met his, and Alex couldn't help but stare into his hazel eyes that had the same color of brown as his hair mixed into them. It was a couple of seconds before either of them spoke.

"I'm sorry, who are you," John asked almost as if coming out a daze, that winning smile never leaving his face.

"Alexander Hamilton, but most people just call me Alex," he said, reaching out and taking the other man's hand.

"Alex," John repeated as he shook his hand. "Well, to put it simply, yes I am the one who will be over seeing you guys now. Of course my father is still the big man in charge, but the slaves are now mainly my business."

"I see..." Alex said as he returned his hand to his side.

"Well we are very excited for the future, Monsieur Laurens," Lafayette said as he moved Alex aside so that he could shake John's hand. "I am Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de Lafayette, but most people call me Lafayette."

"Or baguette," Hamilton muttered under his breath.

Lafayette sighed. "Oui. If you are this petit lion, you also call me baguette."

"I am not petit," Alex snapped.

John just chuckled as he filled the rest of their bowls. "Well it was nice meeting you both," he said with a smile, meeting Alex's gaze one last time.

"Well he didn't seem like as big of a prick as his dad is," Alex said as they walked back to take their seats.

Hercules let out a loud laugh. "John is probably the nicest member of the Laurens family there is. He's even against slavery," he said as they all sat down and began to eat.

"Wait, if he's against slavery, than why did he take this position?" Hamilton asked.

"Like I said, his dad has big plans for him and John doesn't want to disappoint. It's why he's also getting involved with the revolution."

"John Laurens is part of the revolution?" Lafayette said in shock.

"Yeah. Nothing big right now, but who knows where it'll take him."

Just as they had finished their food, a loud chime from a triangle sounded through out the dusky building. The three friends stood to their feet once more as more slaves who had their meal earlier came in to clear their bowls since their group was the last to dine. Once they got to the door, Hercules turned right to head back up to the house.

"I'll see ya'll knuckleheads at dinner, alright?" he said as he began to walk up to the house.

"Oui, mon ami! Until then," Lafayette said, waving goodbye.

"Oh and Laf!" Hercules called back.

They both stopped and turned to listen.

"Try to not call any more guards Monsieur pomme de terre," he said with a wink.

"No promises, mom ami!" Lafayette said with a grin.

Mulligan sighed. "Alex, please try to keep him out of trouble."

Alex only smiled and threw up his arms. "No promises here either buddy."

Hercules turned back towards the house shaking his head, quietly muttering something about "idiots" and "couldn't tie their own shoes without me."

Alex laughed and headed back towards the fields until he caught sight of John Laurens following behind the rest of the kitchen staff as they all headed towards the large house. In all of the rumors he had heard about Henry Laurens' son, none of them mentioned his incredible mass of hair that he pulled back in a pony tail. He couldn't help but wonder what type of knowledge lied underneath all that hair; how many books and verses had been available to shape his mind.

As Alex continued to wonder about the advantages this boy had had available to him, he forgot to notice the wooden platform that led over a small creek into the fields. Alex was on the ground in seconds, his hands and face taking most of the fall. Only moments after he had tripped, he felt someone stumble over his legs and hop over him as they tried to regain their balance. Alex was about to tell them off about not paying attention until he glanced up and saw Mr. Potato himself.

"What the hell Hamilton?! Why are you lying on the ground?!"

The man shook with furry as he clutched his whip tighter. Alex struggled with words as he searched for an explanation.

"I-I'm sorry, I j-just tripped-"

"So you can't get your lazy ass up fast enough, causing me to fall behind you?" the man roared.

Alex was in shock, blankly staring between the guard and Lafayette's concerned face, who had stopped up ahead.

Before he could even think, the man's boot can into contact with Alex's side. Alex groaned as the force from the blow sent him sprawling backwards and onto his back.

"Get up," the guard spat, turning back to return to the fields.

Alex cringed as he grabbed his side and slowly began to stand up. He watched as Lafayette hesitated to come forward to help him, in fear that he may get punished himself. Alex waved him off. There wasn't any use in the both of them being hurt. Lafayette reluctantly returned into the fields where he kept glancing back for Alex.

Alex tried to catch his breath, slowly making his way over into the fields. As he glanced around, he noticed John Laurens had stopped at the base of the porch and was staring right at him with concern in his eyes.

'Shit,' Alex thought, quickly looking away. 'Did he just see that whole scene?'

By the time he looked back again, John was gone. Alex sighed, the pain in his side throbbing as he resigned himself back to another rice plant and began to harvest the grain once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please comment about any questions or helpful feedback you may have! I love to write so I greatly appreciate any advice I can get. Hope the rest of your day is as wonderful as you! ;) <3 Bye! :)


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not." 
> 
> ~Epicurus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I would just like to give special thanks to RosaFloribunda! They really helped me out with where this chapter went. Please leave suggestions in the comments! I do love getting them! Thank you for reading my lovelies! Enjoy!!

Alex examined his reflection in the dusty mirror as he raised his shirt. His fingers brushed against the bruise that had started to form there, leaving his skin a sickly hue of purple.

"I swear, mon Alexander, if I ever get my hands on that guard-," Lafayette growled as he walked over to look at Alex in the mirror.

"You'll _what_ Laf? All you'll end up doing is getting the both of us in trouble and yourself hurt in the process," Alex bit out as he angrily thrust down his shirt to hide the wound. "I'm not worth all of that trouble."

Alex began to walk away when Lafayette grabbed his shoulder, causing him to face the taller French man.

"Mon ami, of _course_ you are worth the trouble," Lafayette said in a sincere whisper as his eyes searched Alexander's. "As slaves," he said gesturing to the bunks around them, "we have nothing except for each other. You will never lose me, even if you try to get rid of me."

Alex let out a short breath. "Laf, I don't think there is any force on Earth that could move you after you've made up your stubborn mind," he said with a small smile.

Lafayette returned the smile, patting his friend's shoulders as he returned his hands to his side. "Non, I think you are quite right about that."

Alex sighed. "Let's get going. We don't need to start off the day by being late."

With that they both headed out of the small cabin where they and twelve other people slept to go and work in the fields. It was early in the morning and the sun had just risen. In this early, orange light, it was plain to see why the rice they grew here was called Carolina Gold. The plants and the pods hanging off of them looked like a pan miner's dream come true.

Almost as soon as Alex had bent over to begin harvesting his first plant, he felt a heavy hand tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a new guard standing behind him. Mr. Potato must have asked to be moved after the tripping incident.

"Hamilton?" the younger, buff guard said in a low voice.

"Yes?" Alex responded, turning to face him as he swallowed nervously.

The man turned gesturing for Alex to follow him. "Come with me."

Lafayette looked up when he heard Alex begin to walk away. Lafayette mouthed to him 'What's going on?', but all Alex could do was shrug his shoulders as he tried to keep up with the guard's quick pace.

"You a trouble maker?" the guard asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had only been filled with the sounds of their feet snapping the dry grass beneath them.

"W-what?" Alex asked, a bit in shock from the suddenness of the question.

The man glanced at him before continuing. "Well, considering you've had roughly five men in the past three months to look over your single section, and that most of the complaints are either involving you or that French bastard, I figure that you're a trouble maker that's up to no good."

Alex's hands subconsciously balled into fists when the man insulted his friend. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to watch his tongue as much as he could. "He's not a bastard."

"What?" the guard asked, not even taking the time to look back.

"Lafayette comes from a good family. All he wanted was to come to America to make a difference. He just chose the wrong ship to get here, that's all," Alex spat out, desperately taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

The guard just let out a sharp laugh. "Right, like I care. All I know is that I'm stuck with you two little shit-heads until they advance me, so I suggest you try to stay on the straight and narrow. I don't tolerate disobedience and I won't have you making me look bad."

Alex had never wanted to sucker-punch someone so badly before in his life.

"And what's your name then?" Alex choked out past his growing rage. "I mean, if you intend to stick around, I might as well know your name."

The man glanced at him, then turned his head forward. For a couple of seconds, he didn't say anything.

"Eacker," he finally said. "George Eacker, but you can address me as sir."

By this point, Alex was throughly pissed off. This man-no this boy-had the audacity to insult his friend and try to tell him how to behave. Alex was clearly older and he wasn't about to be bossed around by some petulant child playing general with a bunch of slaves.

"Where are you taking me anyways?" Alex asked sharply. "If I'm supposed to be following 'the straight and narrow,' shouldn't I be in the fields harvesting my plants?"

Eacker just sighed. "It doesn't matter where you're going. All you need to know is that you've been called there and that you're going to work there. Pretty simple guide lines to follow don't ya think?" he snapped back at Alex.

Alex didn't respond after that because he was pretty sure this would end in a screaming match if he spoke again. He decided to keep his mouth shut until they arrived to where they were heading; and for Alexander Hamilton, this was no small feat.

They came up on a small clearing near the edge of a wooded area that lined the estate. In it stood a man with his sleeves rolled up as he swung an axe down onto the blocks of wood that stood on the chopping block.

"Mr. Laurens," Eacker said, interrupting the man mid swing.

Laurens turned around, shocking Alex that this man would even be capable of such a physical activity after being brought up in such a posh and rich house hold.

"John?" Alex breathed, still in shock as the man gave a sweaty grin. He immediately felt Eacker grab his forearm in warning. Alex recovered himself, bowing his head and avoiding eye contact. "I-I mean Master Laurens. I wasn't aware that you were the one who was in need of my services."

"No no, you're fine Alexander," John said breathlessly as his chest raised and fell with each heavy breath he took. His attention turned to Eacker. "That will be all, George. You can go await on the boundaries. I will call you over when you are needed."

Eacker just gave a curt nod and walked off, giving Alex's arm a rough push before releasing it. Alex rubbed his wrist where Eacker's strong fingers had held him, sure there would be at least some slight bruising from the man handling.

"Hamilton?"

"What?" Alex asked, looking up as he was shaken out of his daze. He looked up to see John staring at him, waiting. "Oh, sorry Sir," he whispered out, avoiding his gaze downwards again.

John gave a soft smile. "You are allowed to look at me, Alex."

Alex looked up tentatively. This wouldn't be the first time someone in authority of him had directly told him to break rules just so they could put him in his place. But when he finally did let his eyes wander up to John's gaze, he didn't see any hint of malicious intent or anger. His gaze was soft and....almost caring.

John's smile grew once Alex's eyes met his. "I know my father can be a bit over bearing when it comes to all the formalities with the slaves, but I hope you find I am quite different from him." John smiled once more before returning to the chopping block and picking up the axe.

Alex shifted on his feet uncomfortably, not sure what he should do. "Sir?" Alex spoke up. John turned to him, looking him right in the eye. "What exactly is it that you need my help with?"

John went to the base of a near by tree and picked up another axe that Alex hadn't seen before. He had a quick pace coming towards Alex, which immediately caused him to panic. Usually whenever an authority figure picked up a tool and came at you, it meant that you had asked too many questions and were about to pay for it.

Before he could raise his arms to defend himself from a blow, John extended the axe towards him, still smiling. Alex looked from the axe to the man holding it in confusion.

"I brought you here so you could help with the recently collected wood, of course," John said, nodding towards the large pile of logs that lay near the boundary of the forest.

Tentatively, Alexander took the axe, still unsure exactly what was going on. "But why me?" he asked. "I mean, I understand why you would need a slave to help, but I'm a field hand; and even then there are much more able bodied field hands like Lafayette to help you."

John paused for a moment, looking Alexander over. It made him slightly self conscious, as if he was evaluating him. John just shrugged. "I just remembered meeting you at lunch yesterday and I realized I had never really talked with you before so I thought I would get to know you." John looked him over once more. "And I'm sure you're very capable of handling the work," he said with a smirk.

Alex just stood there and blinked. Very few people had ever been able to render him speechless, and John had done it in little under ten minutes.

"You want to get to know me?" he asked after a moment. "Why?" he said, shaking his head.

"Well like I told you and your friends yesterday, my father is putting me in charge of the labor around here so I've been trying to get to know everyone that I will be in charge of." John swung his axe and split another piece of wood. "Just trying to prove to my father that I'm capable of the responsibility."

"Why would you have to prove that?" Alex asked, placing another log and the block.

John swung and stuck his axe into the wood, not quite cutting it in half. He pulled it out and stayed silent for a moment. "My father wants me to go into law, as I'm sure you're aware."

Alexander's gaze fell again, not wanting John to know he participated in gossip or possibly even get in trouble for partaking in it.

John simply waved him off. "No, it's fine. It's no big secret that that's why my brothers are in London and I'm still here. But honestly, I want to help with the revolution. My father would rather I stay out of it and stick to my studies, but how could I ignore the chance to be a part of history?" John's gaze became distant, almost as if he could see himself riding in with his battalion. He quickly came back to the present, however, and just shrugged as he took another hit to the log, finally breaking it in half. "I suppose with this new position of authority, I want to prove to him that I am capable of making my own decisions."

Alex couldn't figure out why this man would tell him all of this. He was a slave. He was his slave. If anything, you'd think he'd be the last person John Laurens would turn to in a crisis.

"Why are you telling me all of this, Sir?" Alex finally asked.

John lowered the axe, sighing. "Alexander, I told you I'm not nearly as formal as my father. Please, I insist you call me John. Or Laurens. Whichever you prefer."

Alex shifted uncomfortably. His mind screamed that this could be another trick, but Alex oddly trusted him. "John...." he tested out.

Laurens gave a small smile and nodded. "And as for why I am telling you this," he began again as he placed another log on the chopping block, "since I want to learn about you, I figure it's only fair that you get to learn about me as well."

Alex hesitated a second, still unsure if he could really trust him. "Wha-what do you want to know?"

Laurens' smile grew a bit, happy Alex was willing to talk to him. "Well," he began, "how did you get to be here?"

Alexander immediately avoided his gaze from John's. He was still his master's son after all, and he wasn't willing to upset him by telling him how his father took him away from the only home he had ever known.

John noticed the tension and quickly changed the subject. "Alright, what about your life before this? I know you haven't been here as long as Lafayette, so what did you do before all of this?"

Alex glanced up to meet John's gaze, but now it was his eyes that were adverted towards the ground. His hands were fidgeting with the wooden handle of the axe as he looked anywhere but at Alexander. This was clearly uncomfortable for him as well, but he was trying to humanize Alex, trying to understand him, which is more than his father had ever done. Alex sighed, deciding to meet him half way.

"Before this," he said, setting the unused axe down to gesture to the fields around them, "I lived on a small island called Nevis in the Caribbean. It was just my mother, my brother, and myself. For awhile, everything was great." Alex gave a small smile, remembering his home, remembering his mother. His smile quickly fell as he continued. "But then...my mother...she, ugh..." Alex's throat choked up as he desperately tried to swallow.

Alex slightly jumped when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked over to see Laurens giving him a sad smile, but not looking at him. His gaze was distant, as if he was recalling his own memories. "It's okay, Alex," he whispered after a moment. "I'm still a stranger to you. You don't have to tell me everything."

Alex attempted a smile and simply nodded before returning to his story. "It was just my brother and I for awhile. We lived with my cousin for a bit, but...but that didn't last too long."

"Where is your brother now?" Laurens asked, leaning up against his axe.

Alex glanced at him before responding. "I'm not sure. We went our separate ways after awhile. He went on with his life and I went on to head up a trading charter company."

Laurens gave a small laugh. "That sounds nice."

Alex froze, looking directly at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

Laurens' face fell, possibly realizing what he had just done. "N-no, that's not what I meant-"

"Oh I think I understand you perfectly," Alex bit back, raising a hand to stop John. "You think that getting to work for yourself, to wake up and live for yourself, you think that's the life that I had; when the truth is, my life was far from it."

Alex's voice began to raise as he became more agitated. He couldn't quite understand why he was so upset, but something about how John idealized his life when he already had the perfect life in front of him set Alex off like a gun. He had lost so much, had sacrificed everything, and here John was with everything sitting on a silver platter and he still could be picky about it. He still complained about not being free while Alex was quite literally in chains.

John stood to his full height, a good two inches taller than Alex, but in this moment he still somehow seemed smaller. "I worked all day and all night just to provide for the family that I had. We went some weeks hungry because business was slow. But no, you don't see that," Alex said as he shook his head. He paused for a moment to take a step towards John while looking him dead in the eye. "You've concocted in your head some fantasy life where I only lived by my own rules. But look at me now! I'm a slave. I'm as restricted as it gets! But you wouldn't understand that."

Alex took one more step closer, causing John to take a step back, his eyes wide as he just watched Alexander. "You're just an entitled rich kid who is sick of living under his dad's thumb and dreams of joining the revolution. You can't even open your eyes to how good your life is around you!" he said, gesturing to the immense mass of fields and imposing house behind them.

Alex took one more step towards John, who now stood his ground but still seemed wary. Alex eyed him up and down, lowering his voice to an almost dangerous tone. "You're just a whiney little boy who dreams of wars to show off for daddy where war is the only way out for me."

With an angry breath, Alex turned on his heal and headed back towards the rice fields where Lafayette waited.

"Alex..." John tried calling out from behind him.

Alex kept on walking, ignoring his master's calls.

"Alexander!"

Alex kept going, clenching his fists to is side. He knew it wouldn't be good for him if he went off and punched Henry Laurens' son.

"Hamilton! Stop!"

A loud crack filled the air for just a second, leaving the sound to bounce off of the trees. Not a moment later, Alex fell to the ground, a searing pain seeping into the skin of his back. His vision grew hazy as tears began to pierce the corners of his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. He was all too familiar with this pain to mistake it with any other.

And just as he thought, there stood George Eacker, standing above him, whip unfurled and laying at his side. Alex looked into his eyes and he could tell that Eacker was just looking for another chance to get another hit in.

"Eacker! What in the hell was that?!"

'Shit,' Alex thought as John came running up to his side.

"Well sir, it was clear that this _slave_ ," he spat out, "was disobeying orders, so I took it upon myself to put him back in line."

"Oh, well how _noble_ of you," John said with a cold glare that suggested his words were anything but sincere.

Eacker's brow furrowed as his grip on his whip tightened. "Sir, I thought you would have wanted me to-"

"Well you see that's where you are wrong, Eacker," John bit back. "You obviously weren't thinking." John bent over, resting a hand on Alex's other shoulder, trying to support his weight.

"I'm fine," Alex said through gritted teeth, trying to push John off. He slowly rose to a crouching position. "It's not the first time something like this has happened," he said, looking directly at Eacker while he simply returned the glare with a smug expression.

Despite his protests, John still grabbed Alex's arm and swung it over his shoulders so he could support his weight. Even though Alex's stubborn nature would stop him from ever admitting to it, he was great full for John's support because on his own he wasn't sure if he would be able to stand.

"Mr. Eacker, you are dismissed. While I do not have full authority over you, I will make sure my father is aware of how you have decided to take actions into your own hands. I will let him deal with you from there. As for now you may return to your post in the fields," John said, most of his attention on trying to keep Alexander's weight steady and supported against his side.

"Sir-" Eacker began.

"Now, Mr. Eacker," John growled, once again shifting Alex's weight so he would be more stable.

Without another word, Eacker turned and marched back towards the field, leaving the two men leaning against each other for support. John turned towards the near by house and began leading them to the porch.

"Alright, we need to get your wound looked at," John breathed as they climbed the front steps and entered the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all you wonderful people!!! So I'm going to try to keep up to a weekly update, and if you're lucky I'll update more than once within a week. Sorry this ending isn't that great. I actually had a lot more planned for this chapter, but it was getting crazy long so I split it up into two chapters. The good news is that means I have a good start on chapter 3!! Anyways, please leave your comments below! I looooove reading them!!! Stay beautiful (or just be you. It's the same thing ;) )!!!!


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight cursing ahead

John quickly pulled up a wooden chair, causing its legs to screech against the concrete floor. Alex let out a huff after John slowly lowered him onto the seat. 

Beads of sweat lining his forehead, Alex let out a shaky breath. "I already told you," he spit out, "I'm fine. You get used it to it after awhile." This was a lie. No matter how many times Alex had a whip swung to his back, he never got used to the burning sting that it left. It also didn't help that his mouth put him in that situation more often then he'd care to admit. 

John continued to rummage around in the cupboards until he came across what appeared to be a first aid kit. Hurrying back to Alex's side, he set the supplies on the ground and knelt down. "Alright," John said in a much more hushed tone than before, almost like a bed side manner. "I'm going to have to turn you so your back faces me. Just let me know if it hurts-"

"I already told you that I am fine," Alex said, his voice stressed and his expression contorting in pain with every syllable. 

John sighed, throwing his hands to his sides. "Oh, really? Because you look like shit. Stop your whining before you get an infection in your wound and die because you were too goddamn stubborn to let me help you!"

Alex released another shaky breath, closing his eyes before he could reply. It took him a moment for him to swallow his pride. "Fine," he said, finally relenting. 

"Thank you," John sighed. "Now, I'm going to turn you on three. One, two, three."

Alex used what energy he had to slightly lift himself up and simply focused on trying not to pass out. He hissed as John lowered him back down. 

"Okay," John breathed. "Now I'm going to need you to take off your shirt."

"What?!" Hamilton exclaimed, immediately regretting it as he winced from the pain and sunk back down to a hunched position. 

"Do you want me to be able to treat the wound or not?" John snapped. 

Alex sighed. "Fine," he muttered. "Do what you have to do."

"Thank you," John said. His fingers tenderly brushed Alex's side as he began to slowly lift the hem of his shirt. Alex couldn't help but flinch from the sudden warmth that came from John's touch. John noticed the sudden movement and paused. 

"You okay?" he asked, his hands frozen where they were on Alex's side. 

Alex cleared his throat before responding, not trusting his voice to work. "Fine," he said.

"You sure? I need to know if this hurts. I don't want to tug the cloth free if it's stuck in the wound or blood."

"Yes, I'm fine. Just-" Alex faltered as he felt John's hands lay flat against his hips. "Just get it off already," he said quickly, trying to distract his racing mind. 

John breathed out, continuing to lift Alex's shirt. It wasn't long before Alex began to slightly shiver when the moist air hit his open wound. After John got it over the worst parts, he quickly lifted the shirt over Alex's head and pulled it off of his arms. 

"Okay, now that that's out of the way," John began, turning his attention back to the wound. When his gaze fell upon Alex's back, he froze. Alex knew what he must be seeing. Not only was there the long, red gash down the middle of his back where Eacker had struck him, but there were countless other faded white lines covering his body. Alex felt Laurens absentmindedly run his fingers over the raised skin.

Alex startled John back to the present by clearing his throat. He immediately withdrew his hand from Alex's back, muttering an apology. 

"Okay lets see," Laurens said to himself as he opened the first aid kit and began rummaging around. Alex looked towards the ground where Laurens was setting stuff beside his bent knees. Alex watched as he pulled out two bottles, some cream, and a butt-ton of bandages. 

As John began to pour one of the liquids into some cotton, Alex began to shift in his seat, wringing his hands slightly. 

"Are you sure you're capable of doing this?" he asked. "I mean, don't you have some kind of nurse working here or something?"

John let out a short laugh, which did little to comfort Alex. "Believe it or not, before I got into law, I wanted to go into a field of medicine or science. I still remember a couple of things from the books I read and the studies I observed."

Alex simply nodded his head, this new information only giving him slight ease as the pain in his back worsened. 

"I'm just going to wipe away some of the crud and dirt around the wound with water right now, okay?" John asked him, showing him the wet cotton ball. 

Alex quickly nodded, just wanting this to be over. "Just do it," he said. 

"Alright, I'll be quick." Alex felt John begin to wipe the cotton onto his skin, removing dirt, blood, and sweat to help prevent possible infections in his wound. After a couple of seconds, Alex relaxed. This wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be and the only pain he experienced was the dull throb that had been there before. 

"That's done," John said as he laid the filthy piece of cotton onto the ground next to him. 

"Now this next part," John said as he drenched another piece of cotton in some type of brown liquid, "it's going to hurt like hell. I can guarantee you that."

"What is it?" Alex asked, turning his body as much as could without causing himself too much pain. 

"It's alcohol. It will help sterilize and clean out the wound," John said. 

"Fine." Alex said with a resigned sigh. "Just do what you have to do."

John hesitated a moment before saying okay. "If you need to," he said, laying his hand near Alex's side, "squeeze my hand if the pain becomes too much."

Alex scoffed. "I'm not your little school boy, I can take care of myself."

John just sighed. "I don't doubt that, Alexander, but everyone feels pain, whether you will admit to it or not."

Alex just clenched his jaw. For a man who said he wanted to get to know him, John really knew nothing about Alex. There was no way in hell Alex would ever admit to being in pain or hurt in anyway. His pride was really all that he had. 

"Okay, you ready?" John asked once again, hovering over the wound with the cotton in his hand. 

Alex's hand balled into fists at his side. "Go ahead," he said through clenched teeth. 

John let out a breath before continuing. The second the cotton touched his open wound, Alex arched his back in pain, screaming. John grabbed one of his fists and held it in his hand, squeezing it as tight as he could as he continued to work. 

Alex noticeably calmed down after that, focusing most of the pain and tension into his hand that was grasping John. He let out a few more whimpers here and there as John continued to apologize every time he did. After a couple of more minutes, John set the used cotton on the ground beside him. Alex continued to grasp his hand until the pain had reduced to a dull throb. 

John slowly retracted his hand, rubbing his fingers as he did so. Alex glanced back at him, adverting his gaze once he saw the pain he had caused John. 

"Sorry," Alex choked out, his voice scratchy from the yelling. 

"For what?" John asked. "I was the one who grabbed your hand and besides," he shrugged, "I was the one who caused you the pain."

Alex sighed. "You were just trying to help," he relented. 

John gave a short laugh. "With the medicine, yes, but it's my fault that you were struck by Eacker." John just shook his head. "I shouldn't have told him to wait around." Alex looked at John, who finally met his eyes. "And I shouldn't have yelled at you to stop." John sighed, standing up and rummaging around some more cupboards. 

"Everything you said was right," he continued. "I am just trying to prove myself to my father. I did think that you being able to live on your own sounded nice. And," John paused as he walked back over with what appeared to be cotton swabs, "and I am just a rich kid looking for a way out." 

He shook his head as he bent back down at Alex's side. He raised his head, looking Alex in the eye. "I'm sorry. For...all of this," John said softly as he gestured to the burning wound on Alex's back. John sighed. "You don't deserve it. None of you do." John stared into Alex's eyes, as if trying to convey some secret message he couldn't say aloud. 

Alex shifted slightly as he cleared his throat, dropping his eyes from John's intense gaze. "Well," he began, "I do owe you an apology. I mean, it wasn't your fault George Eacker decided to attack me. And it's just," Alex released a frustrated sigh as he let out a nervous laugh. "You're my master's son, for Christ's sake! And then you say you want to bond with me, get to know me? The only personal information your father knows about me is where I lived and that's because he took me away from there." Alex closed his eyes as John shifted his attention back to Alex's wound. He was never good at apologizing, even when he knew he was in the wrong. 

"This is just a cream to help with the throbbing," Laurens muttered behind him as he began to wipe a cotton swab along Alex's back with a cool substance that dulled the burning by a significant amount. 

"So," Laurens said as he continued to work, breaking the silence that sat between them, "my father took you away from Nevis, your home?"

Alex cringed when he heard the question. He knew John's curious mind wouldn't have allowed Alex's slip up to pass him by without being able to have the chance to ask more questions. 

"If it's alright with you," Alex said hesitantly, "I'd like not to talk about it. I mean, he is your father after all and I don't think you would exactly enjoy hearing how he took me away from the only home I've ever known."

John's hands came to a stop as he finished applying the ointment. "No," he said softly, "no I guess I wouldn't."

Alex held his breath, waiting for John to say more, waiting to be punished for speaking against Henry Laurens at all, but the only sound he heard was the tearing of bandages. 

"I'm going to have to apply some pressure as I put the bandage on, ok?" John asked before continuing, always making sure Alex knew what he was going to do. 

"Alright," Alex replied softly, bracing himself for the pain. 

John hesitated for a moment. "Would-" he sighed as Alex strained his neck to look at the other man's face, trying to decipher what could be troubling him. "Would it help if you held my hand again?"

Alex paused. He wasn't sure what would have a larger presence in this situation, his pride or the pain. 

"If you don't want to, that's fine, it just seemed to help-" Alex silenced John's ramblings by grabbing his freckled hand. 

Alex cast his gaze downward, trying to hide the slight blush that had begun to color his cheeks. "It did help," he said, barley above a whisper. 

Alex heard John clear his throat before continuing. "Alright, lets warp this up then."

Alex's whole body seized as John began to lay a long piece of cotton over his wound. He gripped John's hand, not as tightly as he had before when John had been disinfecting the wound, but enough to where he was glad to have John's hand there. 

As he got to the worse part of the gash, Alex let out a whimper, desperately clenching his teeth and gripping John's hand. Alex began to feel John slowly move his thumb across Alex's knuckles, trying to help him relax. As much as he resented himself for it, he actually grew more calm as he focused on the smooth patterns John traced into his skin. By the time his breathing returned to normal, John was placing the last piece of bandage onto his wound. 

"There," John said as he stood up to check his work, Alexander missing the warmth of his touch as he moved away. "All done." He walked over to face Alexander who still wouldn't meet his gaze. John knelt down fidgeting nervously with his fingers. 

"Thank you," Alex finally said, breaking the silence. He glanced at Laurens who was now looking directly at him. "For-for helping me. You really didn't have to-"

Alex stopped when he felt John's hand rest on his bare shoulder. "Of course I helped you Alexander," John said, his tone soft and warm. 

Alex looked up to see John's caring eyes, just as full of compassion as they were earlier that day. He couldn't help but give a small smile under John's warm gaze, which in return caused John to smile too. 

"Look-" Alex began, but before he could continue, Hercules Mulligan barged through the door. 

"Laurens, I thought I heard you come in here-" Hercules froze when he saw John's hand resting on Alex's shoulder. John quickly stood up, withdrawing his hands as he clasped them behind his back. 

Alex tried to follow suit, but was only able to get half way up before he let out a cry and collapsed towards the ground. 

"Alexander!" Hercules yelled as he rushed towards his friend. John reached him first, once again taking Alex's arm over his shoulder to help the small man up. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Alex said as Hercules tried to take his other arm. 

"Mulligan, could you please take my place while I grab Hamilton's shirt?" John asked as Hercules stepped into John's spot. 

"What happened?" Hercules asked, worry slipping into his voice. 

"Fucking George Eacker happened," Alex spat as John returned with his shirt and examined the bandage. 

John let out a breath when he saw there was little to no new blood. "Well you managed to get up with out making the wound any worse, so this bandage should be good through the rest of the night." John handed the shirt off to Hercules who helped his friend back into the top. "While the cut wasn't quite a laceration, it will still take some time to heal. Possibly up to a week or so." 

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Alex asked as he pulled his head through his shirt. "I doubt Master Laurens would like to hear that one of his workers is just lying about for a week."

"No, you're right, but I won't have you out in the fields," John said as he tried to come up with a solution. 

"What then?" Alex asked, growing more impatient as the pain in his back worsened. 

"He could work outside the house," Hercules suggested. "Ya know, pick up packages, attend to the gardens, it's not exactly bed rest but it'll be less tolling than if he was in the fields bent over all day."

"That could actually work..." John thought out loud. 

"What? No! I've never had to worry about deliveries before. I don't know what is and isn't allowed. I'd probably mess something up and end up getting whipped again," Alex protested. He had a comfort zone and he wasn't too keen on leaving it. 

"Lafayette has. He's worked up near the house before during special events or even some parts of harvest season. Plus, he knows Alex so when Alexander tries to tell him that he's fine when he's clearly not-"

"Hey, I don't-" 

"Laf will be able to make him sit down and take a break," Hercules finished, ignoring Alex's protests against his stubbornness. 

John began to nod as he thought it all through. "That should work. We are a little short staffed up near the front of the property at the moment anyhow, so this would work out perfectly."

"John, I don't need a babysitter. I'll be fine in my regular post," Alex said as he attempted to take his arm off of Hercules and stand on his own, only for him to stumble as Hercules quickly grabbed his arm again. 

"Because you are clearly fine on your own," John stated, gesturing to Alex's bent posture. 

Alexander let out a sight. "Fine," he relented. "But that baguette babysitting me is temporary, got it?" he said, turning to address Hercules. 

Hercules let out a low chuckle. "I'll make sure he knows that."

"Good," Alex huffed. "I don't need any power going to his head. His ego's big enough and he doesn't need our help inflating it."

John gave a soft smile at the two friends bantering back and forth. "Well I have some business that I need to attend to, so if you wouldn't mind taking Alexander back to his bunk house Mulligan, I would greatly appreciate it." 

Hercules nodded and slung Alex's arm back over his shoulder so he could better support his weight. As the two parties were both about to exit the room, Alex stopped for a moment. 

"John," he called, Hercules helping to turn him around slightly so he could face the older man. John paused at the door leading back to the rest of the house, resting his hand on the door's handle as he looked back at Alexander. 

"Thank you," Alex quickly said, glancing at the ground. "For everything." Alex chanced a glance up to see the freckled man smiling at him. 

"Any time Alexander." 

Alex reciprocated the smile as Hercules helped him out into the dying sunlight, just as golden as it had been earlier this morning. 

"So," Hercules began after a couple of moments of them walking in silence, "are you and Johnny boy friends now or what?" he said, giving Alex a sly smile. 

"What?" Alex asked incredulously. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing," Hercules continued, raising his hand that wasn't supporting Alex in defense. "I mean, I did walk on you two with your shirt off." 

Alex swiftly punched Mulligan in the arm, instantly regretting it when the larger man promptly dropped him on his ass. 

"He was attending to my wound," Alex groaned as Mulligan helped the soar man up again. "Besides, he's our master's son; and what you're implying is illegal, you are aware of that, right?"

Hercules just gave him a sly smile as he opened the old door to Alex and Lafayette's bunk house, gently lying him on the bottom bunk of the bed he shared with Lafayette. "Never stopped you before," he said with a playful wink. 

"Mulligan, I swear to God-" Alex seethed through his clenched teeth, but the door had already slammed shut, unsettling the dust that had been lying on the ground. 

Alexander sighed, resigning himself to his bed as he watched the dust particles dance through the dying light of day. In his sleepy haze, he couldn't help but think of how much the glowing particles in the light reminded him of the golden freckles that adorned John's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello you beautiful people!!! I would first like to thank you all for reading! Seriously, every time I get an email saying I got kudos or someone left a comment, I instantly smile :) I do have a quick question for you, my dear readers: would you like a relationship between Lafayette and Hercules? I personally don't ship them that much but I have liked storylines that have included them as a couple. So please let me know in the comments below (it pleases me that that rhymed) and please leave any other feed back you may have!!! I hope your day is as wonderful as you have made mine!!! ;)


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who actually speaks French:  
> I apologize for any incorrect French in here. Blame Google Translate, not me. <3

"Monsieur Alexander, allow me to get that for you." 

Alex sighed, holding a bucket of dirt in his arms. "Laf, I'm fine. I'm here doing this work specifically because it's not too tolling on me." 

"Oui, and I am here specifically because you do not look after your own self care," the French man replied as he took the bucket from Alex's arms and carrying it over to the other flower bed. "It is only your first day, mom ami, and I do not want you injuring yourself any more than you already are.” 

Alex rolled his eyes up at the taller man. “Then what would you like me to do Lafayette?” 

“You can help me till these garden beds for the new flowers Mrs. Laurens is having brought in,” Hercules said as he walked up to the other men with two hoes in his hands. He swiftly threw one of the tools in the air to Alex’s outstretched hand, only to have Lafayette snatch it out of the air. 

“Mon ami, Alexander is supposed to be resting and you throwing things at him does not help with that process,” Lafayette scolded. 

“Geez, Laf I know,” Hercules mumbled as he took the tool from Lafayette. “I walked in on his and John’s special moment, remember?” Hercules smirked as he quirked an eyebrow at Alexander. 

“He. Was. Cleaning. My wound!” Alex barked through gritted teeth. Hercules had been giving him a hard time about how he had walked in on John and Alex with his shirt off ever since he had woken up. “Can’t you just drop it Mulligan?” Alex pleaded. 

“Drop what?” John asked as he strolled up to the three men. None of them had heard him approaching. 

Alex froze as his mind desperately searched for some type of explanation. “The hoe,” Alex blurted out before he could formulate a complete thought in his head. “H-he was holding the hoe out of my reach and Laf and I were just telling him to knock it off because of my injury and all.” It wasn’t a complete lie. 

“Oh, well they’re right Hercules. Alexander is out here to recover, not to strain himself.” 

“Yeah, I know John. It’s just hard not to give this little guy a hard time about his height sometimes,” Hercules said, playing along with Alex’s lie as he ruffled the shorter man’s hair and lowered the spare hoe into Alex’s hands. 

“I’m not short,” Alex grumbled as he took the tool from Hercules. Alex looked back to see John laughing at the two of them. Alex quickly avoided his gaze as his grip tightened on the wooden handle of the hoe as he tried to hide the blush that was forming with the scowl on his face. He hated how flustered he got at the simplest reaction from John. Alex swore it had something to do with that sea of freckles that adorned his face. 

“How is your wound doing today, Alexander?” John asked as he took a step towards Alex. 

“Fine,” Alex replied shortly. He stood straighter, eyeing John as he came closer. 

“Would you mind if I had a look for myself?” John asked as he continued to approach towards Alex as if he was approaching a small animal that he didn’t want to scare away. 

Alex gave his friends a quick look before returning his attention back to John. “H-here? Wouldn’t the dust get it...infected?” The truth was that Alex really just did not need to give Hercules another reason to heckle him about being shirtless around John Laurens. 

“No, I just need to check the bandages,” John assured him. 

“Oh....okay then,” Alex agreed reluctantly as he turned his back to face John. 

Alex tensed up once again as he felt John’s soft touch linger on his sides as John gently pulled up Alex’s shirt. Alex held his breath, waiting for John’s examination to be done. 

“Looks good,” John stated as he lowered Alex’s shirt. 

Alex quickly turned around, straightening out the hem of his shirt. “Yes, thank you again for...helping me with that,” Alex tried as an awkward apology. 

John rested a hand on Alex’s shoulder as he gave him a warm smile. “Of course Alexander. It is really no trouble at all.” 

Alex felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. John returned Alex’s awkward smile as his hand slowly slid down Alex’s arm and rested for a moment on Alex’s wrist. The moment was quickly over as John seemed to come back to his senses and clasped his hands together behind his back and stepped away from Alexander. 

“Well I’ll leave you to it,” John said to the three men before giving them each a curt nod and heading back towards the house. 

“My, my monsieur Hamilton,” Lafayette grinned after John was out of ear shot. “Maybe Mulligan here was right. It seems that you and the Laurens boy do share some... intimate moments.” 

“Oh shut up,” Alex scowled as he began to turn over the soil in the nearest garden bed. “We’re not even friends, really. I mean, he’s nice to me and I’m nice to him, but he’s also our master’s son. Are we even allowed to be friends with him?” 

“Well I consider myself to be one of John’s friends,” Hercules pipped in as he leaned on his hoe’s handle. “And let me tell you, you and John are not friends.” 

“Thank you,” Alex sighed. 

“You are so much more than that.” 

“Hercules, I’m going to take this hoe and drive it into your back,” Alex spat as he turned to face a smirking Hercules Mulligan. 

“Well that would be interesting.” 

The three men jumped slightly at the female voice that came from behind them. They turned to see three woman walking up the front path and stopping in front of them. The shortest one that had wavy brown hair was in a pale, yellow dress with a yellow hat tied neatly under her chin. The one in the middle had a fair completion that contrasted nicely with her dark, black hair and her baby blue dress. The tallest of them had her dark brown curls pulled neatly into a bun with only a few strands falling out to frame her face and wore a rose pink gown. 

“Of course it’s not very hard to believe that Mr. Mulligan here would have done something to warrant someone whacking him in the back with a gardening tool,” the voice from earlier continued, seeming to belong to the woman in pink. 

“You always did have the highest opinion of me Angelica,” Hercules grinned at the woman. 

“Higher than Lafayette when it comes to dancing, but only slightly,” the woman in yellow joked. 

“It is not my fault that I am simply better at French cooking than French dancing!” 

The women laughed the French man’s protests before the one in blue turned her attention towards Alex. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve met.” 

“Ah, no you haven’t!” Hercules realized. “Allow me to introduce you. Alexander, this dashing lady in yellow is Peggy Schuyler, the lovely one in blue is Eliza Schuyler, and and the radiant beauty in pink is Angelica Schuyler. Schuyler sisters, this is Alexander Hamilton.” 

“What? No handsome or wise Alexander for me?” Alex smirked at Hercules. 

The women laughed, Eliza extending her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Alexander.” 

Alex took her hand before placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “Like wise miss Schuyler. And please, call me Alex.” 

Peggy giggled at the sight in front of her. “Where did you find him?” 

“He’s actually worked here for awhile now, just never up here in the front. But he’s up here now until his back heals,” Hercules explained. 

“What happened to your back?” Angelica asked. 

“Have you met George Eacker?” Alex questioned them. 

The three moaned before replying yes. 

Alex gave a small, bitter smile. “I see you hold him in the same opinion as I do. Well, George Eacker is what happened to my back. More specifically, George Eacker and his whip.” 

“Are you alright?” Eliza asked in a concerned tone. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Alex assured her. “I’ll heal quickly. Anyways, what brings you lovely ladies here today?” 

“We’re just here to drop off some cotton for Mr. Laurens from our daddy,” Peggy explained, gesturing to the cotton in her basket. 

“Oh, so your father must be Philip Schuyler,” Alex said, slightly in shock from not making the connection when he first heard their names. 

“Yes. We live on the plantation just down the road,” Eliza smiled. “We often run errands for our father and he often does business with the Laurens so we’re here almost every week.”

“Well if you would like I can go and grab Master Laurens-” Hercules began, stopping when he saw another person heading up the front path. “Oh boy,” he mumbled to himself. 

“What? Who is it?” Alex asked, trying to get a clear view of the man who was approaching their group. 

Lafayette followed Hercules eyes and saw who had just walked up. Gulping, Lafayette rested a hand on Alex’s shoulder, pulling him back slightly. “Mon ami, please try to keep your mouth shut, d’accord?”

“Why? Who the hell-” Before Alex could finish his question, he had a large French hand slapped over his mouth.

“Hello Mr. Jefferson,” Hercules spoke through a stiff grin. Alex looked up between Hercules and the tall man before them. 

He had a magenta coat and a long, wooden cane with a metal tip and ball on top, obviously showing his wealth. His hair was...actually similar to Lafayette’s. But unlike Lafayette’s tight ponytail, his was down and made an almost brown halo around his head. Alex was sure he had heard that name Jefferson before, heard some of the other slaves talk of his plantation. If what he had heard was true, well Alex was just grateful that they had John looking after them and not this man. 

“Hello, Mulligan. I see Mr. Laurens is quite the popular man today,” Jefferson said with a snide smile, eyeing the Schuyler girls. 

“We were just dropping off this cotton,” Angelica said as she took the basket of cotton from Peggy’s hands and gave it to Lafayette who released his hold on Alex as he set the basket on the nearby porch. “I’m afraid we have to go now. Good day Mr. Jefferson.”

“Now what’s your hurry?” Jefferson asked as he grabbed Eliza’s wrist. Alex clenched his fists at his side as Lafayette placed a warning hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you stay and chat for awhile Miss Schuyler? It really has been far too long,” Jefferson continued, now ignoring the other two sisters and simply focusing on Eliza. 

“It has been far too long Mr. Jefferson, but our father is expecting us back soon,” Eliza tried as she forced a smile on her face and gently tugged at her wrist in Jefferson’s grasp. 

“Now come Miss Schuyler. Surely you have time for...a short chat?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair behind Eliza’s ear. 

Alex was about to speak up until Lafayette grabbed his arm and Angelica stepped forward. She tugged her sister’s wrist away, ushering her forward slightly. “I am sorry Mr. Jefferson but we simply do not have the time,” Angelica bit back in a stern voice that Alex had only heard from those in positions of authority. In all honesty he did not doubt for a second that Angelic couldn’t handle being one in a position of power. “We will let our father know that you send your regards. Good day.”

“So you have time to converse with the slaves but can’t spare me the time of day?” Jefferson tsked, shaking his head. “Pick your social crowd wisely ladies,” he said cooly, taking Eliza’s left hand in his. “Because I highly doubt your father would approve a slave as a proper suitor.”

“At least with one of us they would have an intellectual conversation!” Alex blurted out as he broke away from Lafayette’s grip. 

Jefferson immediately turned to face Alex as Eliza took that chance to pull her hand out of his grasp. Jefferson eyed Alex up and down, distaste clear in his gaze. “And who might you be?” he asked as he leaned on his cane. 

“Alexander Hamilton,” Alex said proudly as he stood up straight and shrugged off Lafayette’s hand on his shoulder as he desperately tried to pull him back. 

“And you think that you, a slave, have more intellect than me, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence?” Jefferson asked, a hint of laughter in his voice as if he found this all to be amusing. 

“After reading how poorly that article was written I would say yes,” Alex said flatly as he crossed his arms. 

Jefferson’s smirk fell into a sneer. “What did you say?” he asked in a low tone as he picked up his cane and took a step forward. 

“That the Declaration could have easily been written in a much more elegant way. I mean you claimed that all men are created equal when clearly you don’t believe that to be true; and not to mention the complete disregard of women that sentence creates,” Alex ranted as he gestured to the Schuylers standing behind Jefferson. All three sisters were watching with awe, but Angelica had a certain fire in her eyes that caused her and Alex to share a knowing grin. 

Alex turned his attention back to Jefferson who was now right in front of him. Hercules had taken a step closer to Alex’s side while Lafayette had stepped back. “The point being that from the very little writing I have seen come from your desk it is already evident that you participate in hypocrisy and believe that you are more well endowed than the others around you and who work for you.”

“Is that so?” Jefferson snarled. “And how did a slave like yourself become so knowledgeable on such issues such as politics and foreign affairs?” 

“Oh I don’t claim to be very knowledgeable in the matters, I’m just simply stating that even I could write a better paper than your pompous ass.”

“Why you little-” 

Alex had no time to react as he saw Jefferson swing his cane above his head and back towards Alex’s head. Just before it was about to come into contact with Alex’s left temple, Hercules pushed him out of the way, taking the blow instead. Alex fell to the ground, trying to process everything that had just happened. Lafayette rushed to Hercules’s side, checking to see if he was okay. 

Jefferson quickly turned his attention to the wide eyed Alex who was sitting on the ground. He was about the take another swing before another arm came up and pulled Jefferson’s cane down. Alex looked up to see none other then John Laurens. 

“What the hell is going on here?!” John bellowed at Jefferson. 

“I was simply teaching this slave to not mouth off,” Jefferson spat as he pulled his arm out of John’s grasp. 

“You had no right to do so,” John growled, stepping up to Jefferson. “I suggest you leave before I decide to end our business with you and your plantation.”

Jefferson blinked for a moment before bursting out in laughter. John took a step back, eyeing the man in confusion as if he had just gone mad. 

“Oh that is so cute,” Jefferson laughed as he placed a hand on John’s shoulder. “You really think you have that type of authority?” Jefferson stepped back crossing his arms as his smug smirk returned to his face. “There’s a reason I don’t come to you to discuss business matters, Mr. Laurens. But please, by all means, go and complain to your father. Let’s see where that gets you.”

John clenched his fists, glaring at Jefferson, before avoiding his gaze towards the ground. Alex watched as John’s once stern resolve completely disappeared to defeat. 

Jefferson smirked at them, knowing he had won that particular argument. He turned around on his heel, giving a nod to the Schuyler sister as he passed them. “Tell your daddy I stopped by, Mr. Laurens,” Jefferson called over his shoulder as he walked back down the road. 

John sighed. Looking down at Hercules. “Are you alright, Mulligan?” he asked. 

“Yeah I’m fine,” Hercules grunted as he sat up. 

“Toi idiot!” Lafayette yelled at Hercules as he helped him up. “You could have been seriously hurt! What were you thinking? Were you even thinking?”

“Laf relax, I’m fine,” Hercules chuckled as he wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “No harm done.”

“No harm done?” Lafayette asked incredulously. He gently took the sleeve of his shirt and dabbed Hercules’s brow where the cane had struck him. When he pulled it back, the cloth was stained red. “What do you call this then? You’re going to need stitches! I hardly call that ‘no harm done’, Hercules Mulligan. Je jure que c'est comme si tu devais toujours être l'idiot fort et têtu...” Lafayette helped Hercules stand as he began to angrily rant in French. 

Alex felt a small smile grow on his face as he watched the French man go off on a tangent. He slowly began to stand up and dust the dirt off of his pants. John noticed him standing and quickly rushed over and grabbed his right arm to help him the res of the way up. 

“Are you okay?” John asked breathlessly as he stood in front of Alex with both of his hands on his shoulders, his eyes darting all over Alex’s body as if searching for any sign of injury. 

“Yeah I’m alright. Just got pushed down. Didn’t feel like anything on my back tore open either so I think we’re in the clear.”

John gave a noticeable sigh of relief as he cracked a small smile. He once again let his hands slide down Alex’s arms and rest at his wrists. But Alex didn’t pay it much attention. There was something about John’s smile that was just so contagious. Maybe it was the hundreds of freckles that seemed to rise and fall into the small dimples in his cheeks or maybe it was the sparkle in his eyes that made them shine like stars. Whatever it was, Alex wasn’t sure, but he could only smile in return. 

“Well I am glad that you are okay,” John said, breaking Alex out of his trance as he began to slowly step away. 

“Yeah me too. I hope I didn’t lose any business for you though,” Alex laughed nervously. 

John’s brow furrowed at the mention of Jefferson. “Honestly it doesn’t even matter right now,” he spat. “I’m sure we still have his business, but I’m not sure if I really care for it.” John sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But he’s right. That’s not my decision,” he mumbled, letting his hand fall to his side as he raised his head. “It’s my father’s.”

“If you’ll excuse me everyone, I do believe I need to have a chat with my father. Miss Schuylers I apologize we weren’t able to have an actual conversation today. Give your father my best,” he said, giving the Schuylers a small smile. 

“We will John. Take care,” Angelica said, returning the smile. 

“It was nice meeting you Alexander,” Eliza said as she gave him a small smile as they began to head back down the path. 

“Nice to meet you too,” Alex said as he waved good bye. 

“Lafayette, do you think you can attend to Hercules’s wounds on your own in the kitchen?” John asked, turning to the French man. 

“Ah, what? No Doctor John to attend to my wounds? Why does Alexander get all the special treatment?” Hercules smirked but then grimaced at the pain in his temples. 

John looked away, a slight blush noticeable on his cheeks. “I’m sorry Hercules, I just have to speak to my father urgently.”

Hercules waved him off. “Nah, you’re fine. Laf has stitched me up plenty of times.”

“Let’s try to make this the last,” Lafayette said as he readjusted Hercules weight on his shoulder. “Alexander, why don’t you help me carry him over? Our friend is not exactly petit.”

“Is that supposed to be a fat joke?” Hercules barked. 

“Yes. I thought it better than making a dumb joke at someone who just recently got themselves brain damage.”

“Hey!”

Alex laughed, walking over and taking Hercules’s other arm. “Yeah, I can help carry him and I’ll stop you two from killing each other as well.”

John let out another breath, giving the three men a strained smile. “Good. I’ll see you later then.” And with that, John walked back to the house, fists clenched as he stomped up the porch steps and barged threw the front door. 

Alex’s eyes followed him until he was completely out of sight, being brought back to the present as Hercules shifted his weight. “Come on,” Alex mumbled. “Let’s go put some stitches in your forehead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow wow wow it has been WAY too long since I have updated! I am so sorry for my absence but I am hopefully going to be back to updating about every week. Honestly thank you guys SO much for your comments! They always make my day and they are what motivate me the most to write and finish these chapters. So please keep the comments and kudos coming and I’ll keep these chapters flowing!!! I hope this chapter was as wonderful and inspirational as you all are to me! :) Till next time my papers and pens


	5. Five

Alex wiped the sweat gathering on his brow as he bent over and picked up more blocks of wood in his arms before standing up, walking over to the shed where the wood wqs stored, dropping it into the growing pile, and turning around to do it again. It was a thrilling task.

It had been almost a week now since Alex’s encounter with George Eacker and only two days since he had met the infamous Thomas Jefferson. His back was healing well, but Alex was still on edge, waiting to be reprimanded for stepping out of line one too many times this week alone. If it hadn’t been for John on both occasions, Alex wasn’t quite sure where he would be now.

But John was also Alex’s problem. The freckled boy seemed to be always on his mind. It was beginning to effect his work and both Hercules and Lafayette were starting to take notice. Far too often the two men would have to shake Alex out of a day dream or cover for him when he didn’t hear what a guard said right away. He appreciated their help, just as he appreciated John’s, but it also made him uncomfortable. Alex wasn’t one to take handouts- especially not from those who held any kind of authority over him.

Yes John was nice and yes he treated the slaves better than Alex had ever seen them be treated before, but that didn’t stop the fact that John was John _Laurens_. He was Henry Laurens‘ son. Alex dropped a few pieces of wood into the pile in front of him, shaking his head. If he kept playing around with something as dangerous as John Laurens, there was no doubt that he would get burned.

Now if only he could get that message to his brain. It had been only two days since he had last seen John, and Alex was already....missing him. Any time he even caught a glimpse of brown curls, Alex’s head would whip around, only for him to be disappointed. Alex would find himself smiling as he remembered his past conversations with John. He would fall asleep thinking about those brown eyes and would wake up to that bright laugh echoing in his mind. Alex tried to shake these thoughts out of his head, but they were stubborn. He sighed. Of course they were. They were his own thoughts after all.

Alex shook his head, trying to clear the haze as he attempted to focus on the task at hand. He bent down, picking up some logs as his mind drifted back to the first time him and John had actually met. He quickened his pace, trying to distract himself by counting each step he took to the wood shed. Despite his best efforts, the thought of John defending him in front of Jefferson still managed to creep into his mind and caused the corners of Alex’s mouth to twitch into a smile. He threw the logs down, trying to keep his breathing even as his mind went back to the time John tended to his wounds. He bit his tongue, turning around to head back to the chopped wood. John.

This time it was more than his distracted thoughts. Alex ran right into his master’s son, causing them both to fall to the ground. Alex bit back a curse when he saw that it was actually John and not just another crazed hallucination that his mind had conjured up.

“M-Master Laurens,” he stammered, helping John off of the ground as he stood as well. “I am so sorry. I-I was distracted and didn’t see you there.”

John let out a laugh, taking Alex’s hand as he helped him up. “It’s alright, Alex, trust me. And please,” he sighed, “call me John?”

Alex gave a shy smile. “Right. John. My apologies.” Alex stood frozen for a moment, lost again in John’s gaze before his senses came back to him and he was aware that he was still holding John’s hand. He dropped it quickly, muttering an apology.

“No worries,” John smiled. “So,” he said after a moment, “what could possibly have distracted you enough to cause you to run right into me?”

Alex adverted his gaze, feeling his face warm. “N-Nothing Si-John,” he mumbled, catching himself before he could make the same mistake again. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Alex flinched as he heard John begin to laugh at his reaction. He looked up at the other man, furrowing his brow as his eyes darted across John’s freckled face for any signs of anger or bitterness. Yet John’s features seemed as if they had never expressed either of those emotions. Alex’s back was tense as he waited for an explanation for the other’s sudden outburst.

“I’m sorry,” John chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s just....Alex you’re so formal. When I helped patch up those wounds and when you were speaking to Jefferson you were anything but. Knowledgeable and decisive in your language, yes, but without a doubt stepping away from the set status quo.” John crossed his arms, his eyes roaming over Alexander as if he was trying to solve the paradox that stood in front of him in the form of the short, Filipino man. “It’s striking to see the two contrasting sides of you.”

Alex shrugged, a little more at ease once he heard John’s explanation. “As a slave you learn the time and place to remain silent and to not step out of line.” Alex bit his bottom lip, considering the hypocritical statement. “Well I mean I know to be respectful to you and your father of course, but I seem to have a hard time remembering my place around those who infuriate me as you witnessed first hand with Mr. Jefferson the other day.”

“Yes, about that. I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” John said, all traces of the humor that had brightened his features moments earlier gone. Alex swallowed thickly, sure that John could see his Adam’s Apple bob as he tried to prepare himself for the worse.

“I am sorry for what he said, but more importantly how he treated you. It doesn’t matter what you said or did, he had no right to attack you.”

Alex had to blink for a few seconds, unable to believe what he was hearing. John Laurens, his master, was taking his side against another wealthy plantation owner that he and his father did business with? Hercules wasn’t kidding when he said this kid had a more liberal view on the status of slaves than his father. Alex had had a hard time accepting that fact early on, believing that once a southern bureaucrat always a southern bureaucrat, but John Laurens seemed to be continuously proving him wrong.

Shaking himself out of his disbelief, Alex gave a small smile towards the other. “There’s no need to apologize John,” he assured him. “I shouldn’t have stepped out of line.”

John frowned, stepping forward to rest a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Alexander, Thomas Jefferson was the one stepping out of line; not you. You were standing up for a kind, young woman and what you believed to be right.” John smiled down at the other, that same light that had illuminated his face earlier returning when he held Alex’s gaze. “This is America after all. I believe we are fighting a war over the very right to do what you did the other day.”

Alex’s wall, the one he had created over years of mistreatment and turmoil, was beginning to fall apart under John’s efforts to befriend him. A smile tugged at the corners of Alex’s lip. “Thank you John. It is....refreshing, to say the least, to hear someone in power speak so fondly of the principles I try to hold myself to.”

“Well you are a very wise man Alex,” John smiled in return, his hand remaining on the other’s shoulder. “Only the foolish would hear what you have to say and scoff. Which does explain why Jefferson did what he did the other day.”

Alex laughed, a true laugh that was pulled from his chest by John’s kindness and warm smile. He glanced down at their feet, noticing the space between them slowly decreasing, but doing nothing to stop it. He brought his eyes back to John’s, letting out a quiet sigh as he let himself be consumed by the beauty of the swirling browns in the other’s eyes.

“Master Laurens, your father wishes to see you.”

The beautiful sanctuary that the two men had built for themselves shattered as a black woman who, by the looks of her apron, worked in the main house hold walked up to them. John’s hand quickly fell to his side as Alex drew back and clasped his hands behind his back and fixated his gaze on the ground between his shoes. This was one of those times where he knew he should do nothing but remain silent and stay in his place.

John cleared his throat, tugging the fabric of his shirt straight. “Yes? What is it?” he asked the woman, that authoritative tone that Alex had heard in every master’s voice, in every person who had ever whipped him, coming so easily for John. It made Alex frown, biting his lip as he silently scolded himself for ever getting caught up in a moment like the one him and John had shared.

“Your father wishes to see you,” she repeated. “And he would like to see him as well,” she said, nodding towards Alex.

Alex’s head shot up, the shock and concern evident on both his and John’s face who had turned to look at the other when she mentioned this. Alex stared at the woman for a moment, trying to make sure he was positive that he had heard her correctly. When he had run her words through his head multiple times, he looked at John, speechless in every sense of the word.

John opened his mouth to speak a few times to Alex before glancing at the ground and clearing his throat again. “Right,” he said matter of factly. “Will you let him know we will be right with him?” The woman nodded, turning to head back to the house to deliver Henry Laurens the message.

Alex looked at John for help, his chest rising as he tried to take in deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

“I believe we should go see why my father has requested both of our presence,” he spoke plainly, that strict and formal tone still in his voice as he turned and lead the way back to the Laurens’ manner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t kill me. 
> 
> I am SO SORRY I haven’t updated in awhile. I knew that this chapter would be hard for me to write so I put it off and let school and other things get in the way. The good news is I am seriously writing again and will hopefully be able to update this every two weeks reliably. I don’t want to give up on this story, but more importantly, I don’t want to give up on you guys. You’re comments have helped me more than you could possibly know. You guys are a bright ray of sunshine on my cloudy days. Thank you, honestly THANK YOU, for reading and responding. You’re all truly amazing people and I feel so honored to have you choosing to read my work. 
> 
> Till next time my papers and pens <3


	6. Six

Alex started muttering a quiet prayer under his breath. He hadn’t been one for religion; that was his mother. Still he had the principles of church engrained in him and they often came out in times of desperate need which Alex thought that this moment qualified for.

He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until the blast of cool air shocked him enough to inhale. Granted it wasn’t much of a change from the humid air that Alex was used to working in, but with the numerous slaves fanning the home’s residents and the breeze blowing in through the open windows, it was a minute but definite change in Alex’s world to John’s.

Alex bit his lip, his spine aching from how straight he was standing. His eyes remained on the back of John’s head, following the other into Henry Laurens’s study. Even from just watching the other man’s back, Alex could tell that there had been a shift in John’s demeanor when the two of them had been called in. He couldn’t tell how the other’s mood had changed exactly, but he could tell that it wasn’t in a positive manner.

Alex froze when they approached two closed doors, John walking up and knocking on the mahogany wood. It took a few minutes before they heard a muffled response and the doors were opened by a slave that was already in the study. Alex tried to make eye contact with the other as he walked in, trying to see if he could get any clue of what was about to happen, but the black man just kept his eyes on the ground. Alex swallowed, following the other’s lead as he directed his gaze towards the floor. It was probably for the best if he wished to receive as little punishment as possible and not cause any more trouble.

While Alex hung back near the door, John approached his father’s desk, his stance almost as rigid as Alex’s. “You wished to see me sir?” he asked the other man, addressing him more as a superior officer than a father.

Henry Laurens set his quill down, taking his reading glasses off as he placed them next to the discarded quill. There was a quiet but powerful air about him. It brought back unpleasant memories of the calm before the storm Alex witnessed when that hurricane came though and destroyed his home. The memories and the office he now stood in sent shivers down his spine.

“Yes, I did,” Henry spoke matter of factly, continuing the tone of formality that was held between him and his son. “I would like to discuss the recent transgressions that occurred between some of the slaves under _your_ command and Mr. Jefferson.” Although there was very little inflection to the older man’s tone, the bite behind certain words made it clear he was more than displeased.

Alex could see the muscles tense in John’s hands. “It was an unfortunate event that I am making sure will not occur again-“

Henry cut John off with a single raised hand. His once calm and neutral gaze took a cold and callous turn. His salt and pepper brows furrowed a bit, seeming like a dramatic shift in expression to Alex. “The point is, John, it should not have happened at all,” he bit, his hands clasped together on the desk in front of him. “A slave has no place speaking to someone such as Mr. Jefferson, let alone dare to argue with him.”

“Yes sir, I understand, but Mr. Jefferson was out of line with one of the Schuyler girls-“ John began to protest.

“It does not matter!” Henry interrupted, causing both Alex and John to jump. “You may have some standing to speak out against Jefferson’s actions John, but even then it is questionable. The very idea of one of my slaves daring to step out of line and disrespect a man of Jefferson’s stature should be unthinkable, but here we are.”

The old man’s eyes fell on Alex who at that point felt like he was as much of a fixture of the room as the bookshelf behind him. Now it was clear that he was quite visible and Henry Laurens was not about to forget about him or the fact that he had been the cause of this problem. “Are you Alexander Hamilton?” Henry asked, his tone cutting and quiet all at the same time.

Alex shifted on his feet, trying to use every aspect of his small stature to his advantage. “Yes sir.”

“So you are the one who almost lost me my business with one of the most well known and profitable men in this county,” Henry said with a smile. Even though his tone held a hint of amusement, it was clear that the man only held bitterness and distaste for Alex.

“I was not aware that Jefferson had threatened to quit his dealings with you sir,” Alex answered, trying to avoid taking the blame head on.

“It does not matter if he had threatened to stop our business together or not. You had no right to speak to him, let alone disagree with him,” Henry corrected, that small smile gone as soon as it had came. “And you should address him as Mr. Jefferson, even when he is not present.”

Alex’s lips tightened as his will to remain silent weakened. He decided against speaking again, giving a small nod as he adverted his gaze towards the ground.

Henry seemed pleased with that response as he let out a short huff, standing to round the corner of his desk. “What it boils down to, Hamilton, is that _you_ were in the wrong.” Alex didn’t even have to look up to know that Henry’s gaze was on him. He could almost feel it resting upon his shoulders. “Besides, any one of Schuyler’s daughters would be lucky to marry a man of Jefferson’s acclaim. In this case you not only scorned Mr. Jefferson, but those poor women as well by cheating them of a possible courting opportunity.”

That’s what pushed Alex over the edge. He could take twenty lashes for his own mistakes, he could stand here and listen while Henry Laurens berated him about how little he was compared to the oh so great Thomas Jefferson, but he was not about to let this old man speak ill of the three strongest women he had had the honor of meeting.

“If anything I was doing them a favor,” Alex spit out before he could stop himself, his scowl still on the ground as the hands at his sides tightened their grip.

Alex could almost hear Henry’s thoughts falter as if they were tripping over themselves, struggling to process what Alex had said. “Excuse me?” he breathed, it being an obvious warning and chance for Alex to take back what he had said. Of course Alex was not one to apologize for doing what he saw to be right.

“I said,” Alex repeated, daring to look up at the man standing in front of him, “that the Schuyler sisters could do much better than Thomas Jefferson. He is a pompous misogynist that can’t even shed a light to the intelligence of Miss Angelica Schuyler or any of the other sisters.”

It had happened and was over almost as quickly as the lashing to Alex’s back from Eacker. Henry hadn’t even needed to take a step closer to Alex before delivering a hard slap to the other’s right cheek. Alex stumbled backwards from the force of the blow, a hand covering the reddening cheek.

”You have no right to speak out of turn,” Henry said, a slight growl added to his cool tone as he lowered his hand back to his side.

Alex panted as he stood up, glancing over at John who’s fists were clenched almost as tight as his jaw. He avoided Alex’s gaze when the other tried to get a read on what he was thinking. Alex straightened his shirt, fixing his posture as he clasped his hands behind his back. “Yes Sir. Sorry sir,” he said past his clenched jaw.

Henry studied him for a moment before walking back in front of John, shaking his head. “This is what I am talking about John. This sort of blatant disobedience should not just go unpunished, but it should not be occurring in the first place.”

“Sir, it was clear that Miss Eliza Schuyler was uncomfortable with how Mr. Jefferson was addressing her,” John tried to rationalize. “Alexander was just trying to do what he believed to be fit in that situation.”

For a second Alex thought John was about to get slapped across the face as well. “It is not his place to deem what is fit; nor is it yours in the presence of a man such as Jefferson when it comes to his affairs in business or women,” he seethed. “You must lead by example, John, and the example you are leading is one of disrespect and obstinance.”

The fire and life that had swelled in John extinguished again as he bowed his head, making him almost unrecognizable to Alex. “Yes sir,” he mumbled, keeping his gaze low like a wounded dog.

Henry left his attention from John and brought it back to Alex who refused to meet the other’s eye as he stared straight ahead. “This is not the first time I’ve heard complaints about you, Hamilton,” Henry sneered. “I’ve had multiple guards ask to be relocated to a different position because of you and that French man.”

“That French man has a name,” Alex bit, daring to look at Henry for a second before adverting his gaze once again.

Henry pressed his lips into a thin line, refusing to acknowledge that Alex had even spoken which was probably in Alex’s best interest. “The point of the matter is that this is not your first offense and I doubt it will be your last. That being said, I can’t have you working in the fields anymore. Considering that is where most of my profit comes from, I will not be having some ignorant slave starting a revolt on my plantation and losing me that money. My wish is to move you to somewhere where myself or John or _someone_ is able to keep an eye on you.“

“He can serve me.”

Both Henry and Alex were stunned by John’s outburst, the pair turning to look at the man who had been standing just a few feet from Alex, but they may as well have been a million worlds apart. John eyed the two men staring at him, clearing his throat before speaking again.

“He can serve me, sir. It will allow me to keep a watchful eye on him while still permitting the daily activities in the fields go about undisturbed,” he explained. “Plus, if he were to slip up, you wouldn’t need to worry about the hassle of transferring another guard. I can take care of him right then and there to assure that the mistake won’t be repeated.” John couldn’t seem to hold Alex’s eye when he was suggesting this, and perhaps it was for the best. Alex’s gaze only held contempt and betrayal for the other man standing beside him.

Henry stood there for a moment, eyeing John and Alex as if he was trying to determine how much trouble Alex could cause and if John would be able to handle it. “Alright,” he said, his tone void of emotion once again. “If you can promise me that not a single one of his actions will go unpunished, then this may work.”

“I promise you sir that I will tolerate no allowance for any slip ups,” John assured his father. Alex had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. They were dealing with him as if he were some intangible problem instead of a person standing in the same room as the two of them.

“I hope that you will stick to your word, for your sake and Hamilton’s.” Henry walked back behind his desk, folding his hands together on top of the mahogany wood as he sat down. His attention turned from his son back to Alex. “Now I want this to be clear, that this is in no way a promotion or reward for your behaviors. If you weren’t already working in the fields and causing trouble there, I would send you to work picking rice. I will make periodic checks on you and how you have been handling the work my son has assigned you. If I deem your work load to be too light or not strenuous enough in any way, I will dull out a punishment that I deem fit to remind you of your place, understood?”

“Yes sir,” Alex forced out through his gritted teeth, his gaze remaining on the wooden floor in front of him.

Henry nodded, seemingly pleased with the outcome of this discussion. “As for right now, I am suspending your meals for five days. Today does not count in those five days, but you will also not receive supper. After the five days are up you may start your new position with my son. Until then, you will rejoin that nameless French man back in the fields. However, one slip up in these next few days, and I assure you that your hunger will be the last thing on your mind Alexander.”

Alex gave a curt nod, his fists shaking at his sides as he bit his tongue.

“Off to work then,” Henry said, turning back to the papers on his desk as he dismissed Alex with a wave of his hand.

Alex spun around on his heel, the slave standing at the back of the room barely having enough time to open the large doors for Alex to exit the office. He was down the porch steps and making his way towards his usual spot in the fields when a sudden tug on his wrist came from behind, causing him to stop.

There stood John; the ice cold demeanor he had had the entirety of the discussion seeming to have melted away as soon as the Carolina sun hit his freckles. “Alexander, please. Allow me to explain,” he begged, his guilty expression trying to appeal to the other.

“There is nothing to explain Mister Laurens,” Alex said, his tone and expression cold; the formal title dripping with venom on Alex’s tongue. “You just need me in a place where you can keep an eye on your troublesome piece of property.”

“Alexander that is not what I meant by asking you to work for me-“ John sighed, fighting to get a word in.

“But you see, it doesn’t _matter_ what you meant by it, because what this all boils down to is that I am just a piece of property. I am nothing more than a possession to your father, to Eacker, even to you,” Alex snapped, daring to take a step closer to John who refused to back down. “I can’t believe I began to think other wise.”

“Alexander you are not a piece of property to me-“

“Save it,” he bit, pulling his arm from John’s grasp. “Now if you will excuse me Mister Laurens, I have work to do and your father made it quite clear that I can not afford any more mistakes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!!! Honestly I LOOOOVED reading your guys’ most recent comments. They always make my day :) Also did you catch that Dear Evan Hansen reference? If not don’t sweat it. It’s pretty small. But hey comment if you think you found it. I also have a seriously obscure Hunger Games reference. It was more like I had Hunger Games on my mind while writing this and it just sort of bleed through. ANY WHO thank you again so much for liking, bookmarking, and commenting!!! It means the absolute world to me. I know I said I would try to update in two weeks, and it’s not like I procrastinated this time, I just think three weeks will be more realistic. I want to get chapters out as fast as possible, but I also want them to be good because you guys deserve the best that life can offer and I hope that this is good enough for you beautiful people <3 Please COMMENT, SHARE, BOOKMARK, do whatever you want! Just know I love ya and you deserve this love ;) Till next time my papers and pens! <3


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